russelfandomcom-20200213-history
Tina Monzon-Palma is back on TV (and her troubles have just begun)
Manila Standard, Tuesday, March 3, 1992 (page 20) Tina Monzon-Palma ANOTHER one? Not another Presidentable, silly, another channel. And five makes six. And whereas the five others provide more of the same, the Associated Broadcasting Corporation's Channel 5, strives for an alternative programming. See for yourself: Randy David reads the news in Balitang-Balita, Mondays to Fridays at 6 p.m. (Take that, Noli de Castro.) Tina Monzon-Palma (YES!) anchors The Big News, Mondays to Fridays at 9 p.m. (No contest.) Pops Fernandez in P.O.P.S. (Pops on Primetime Saturday), Saturdays at 7 p.m., going against MacGyver (C9) and Face to Face (C7). Steven Spielberg's Tiny Toon Adventures, Mondays at 7 p.m. is pitted against Regal Presents (C2). Joey de Leon's Stay Awake, Saturdays at 10 p.m., is said to be "madder" than Martin After Dark (C7), at 9:30 p.m. Randy David and The Big News, Fridays at 10:30 p.m. vis a vis The Probe Team (C7), at 10:45 p.m. The new station has a bias for news. "Which is why the owners picked someone from the News (department) to operate the station," explains Tina Monzon-Palma, chief operation officer of Channel 5. But the big news is Channel 5's emphasis on responsive and responsible journalism. "We'll try to avoid the pitfalls of tabloidal journalism especially in the Tagalog broadcasts. Tabloidal journalism is the easiest thing to do, but you'd only be doing a disservice to your public," says Olive Villafuerte, news and public affairs director. She reveals that a number of people from print media have crossed over to Channel 5's broadcast news staff. "We have a good combination of new and senior reporters from both print and TV. They include: Gene Orejana, Ed Lingao, Luz Rimban, Mayette Ilagan and Arlene dela Cruz. Joe Maria Carlos is the editorial manager while Vet Vitug produces the Tagalog newscasts." The prime catch, so to speak, is US sociology professor Randy David, who will read and later on, analyze the news. If Palma can't help herself sometimes and smirks, how can Randy David of Public Forum fame, dish out news with a straight face? "I'll bite my lower lip," David says. How and why did he agree to read the news? "Tina convinced me. Since I was going to analyze news on Fridays (The Big News with Randy David, 10:30 p.m.), she said I might as well read the news on Mondays to Fridays (Balitang-Balita, 6 p.m.)." David looks forward to his Friday news analysis because it enables him to sort of "string together" the top news stories of the week. Marilou Diaz-Abaya directs. "Although the thrust of the station is news, we will give the best of local and foreign entertainment," Palma adds. They also have: Handog ni Brocka, an anthology of the late director's work compiled by his heirs; Studio 5 Presents, with Aga Muhlach, Ruffa Gutierrez and Gabby Concepcion in their own drama anthologies; Learning your ABC, a pre-school education on television; Caloy's Angels, a comedy series with Billy Joe Crawford, Mitch Valdez and Lou Veloso; Adlibs, with Che Che Lazaro taking a look behind the concert scenes; and Straight from the Heart, a psycho-social discussion with celebrities, hosted by Keno and Lani Mercado. "Local programming is a challenging balancing act between mass taste and higher mass aspirations," explains Cynthis Pestano, in-charge of local programs and productions. "Channel 5 will stick to the greatly entertaining for viability, but it will also be value-forming, and educational and always in good taste. Mass media tend to equate masa with bad or poor taste, and it shouldn't be the cast," she says. Ha! we'll see. The programs this writer is excited about are: Gumby, Tuesdays 6:30 p.m.; The New Three Stooges, Mondays to Fridays, 5 p.m.; Batman (Adam West), Saturdays, 4 p.m.; Alfred Hitchcock Presents, colorized and re-edited (Dunno if this is good news or bad), Tuesdays, 8:30 p.m.; Quantum Leap. Wise choices made by Bambi Macaraig, who's in-charge of foreign film acquisitions. Also in the programming schedule are environmental series: Last Frontier, which depicts underwater expedition, and A Peaceable Kingdom with Lindsay Wagner as a widowed mother who portrays a director of a financially strapped country zoo. Channel 5 studios are located along Quirino Highway, Barangay Bartolome in Novaliches. ABC Officers include: Edward Tan, chairman of the board and chief executive officer; Edgardo C. Roces, president; Roberto C. Limgenco, vice-president and treasurer; Rodolgo B. Santiago, secretary; Marcos C. Roces, Ramoncito C. Arceo, Roberto V. San Jose and Susanna V. Santos, director. Channel 5 signs on Mondays to Fridays from 4 p.m. to 12 midnight; Saturdays and Sundays from 12 noon to 12 midnight. Tune in this early and be a witness to the station's birthing pains. Especially during the 6 p.m. news. Watch Randy David get acquainted with the teleprompter. (In his first telecast, he forgot to introduce himself, as well as the program.) And again during the 9 p.m. news. See Tina Monzon-Palma exhibit grace amid technical problems. (Last Monday, she paused for a video film clip...there's none forthcoming..Then in the middle of reading a news report, she was cut off by a commercial.) And humor. After reading the last news report, Palma announced: "And that's The Big News for night. I'm glad it's over. And I'm glad to be back." Same here.